a ee ee aan 
The 1959 winter survey in the Central Flyway showed that 
there was some decrease among the dabbling duck species while the 
divers remained about the same. The winter index for the most _ 
important species in the Flyway, the mallard, decreased 42 percent. 
Decreases were recorded also for the snow goose and the white- 
front. The wintering population of Canada geese remained about 
the same. 
The breeding range affecting the Central Flyway was beset 
by adverse weather and habitat conditions throughout most of the 
important areas. Severe drought markedly reduced the amount and 
quality of the habitat throughout the southern portion of the 
Prairie Provinces, the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Nebraska. Only in 
Montana were habitat conditions reasonably favorable. North of 
the prairies the birds were faced with the latest spring that we 
have recorded since surveys were started in 1947. Ice did not 
leave many northern lakes until late June, and freezing conditions 
were common throughout the month. 
Within the general prairie and parkland pothole breeding 
range there was a decrease of more than 30 percent in the duck 
breeding population, with most of the decrease taking place in the 
Dakotas and in southern Saskatchewan. In spite of the drought in 
southern Alberta there was a small increase in the number of adult 
birds recorded during May as compared to a year ago. 
Most of the birds which were displaced from the prairies 
and parklands by the drought conditions moved on northward into 
northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories where major increases 
in adult birds were recorded during the May-June survey. 
During the May surveys within the drought areas there was 
a noticeable grouping of birds on the larger bodies of water that 
remained. Even during May there was doubt that these birds were 
actively engaged in nesting. Both ground and aerial surveys during 
July confirmed the fact that either many birds made no attempt to 
nest or else their first nests were unsuccessful and they gave up. 
All surveys throughout southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, 
and the two Dakotas recorded the lowest number of broods that have 
been tabulated since the breeding ground surveys were initiated. 
Also, there was little evidence that a late hatch could be expected. 
The situation in southern Manitoba was not quite as bad, since water 
conditions in southcentral Manitoba were much better than in the 
southwestern portion of the Province. Nevertheless, a considerable 
reduction in fall flight is expected from this area as compared to 
a year ago. 
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